Comments on: Will Self: Don’t drive to walk

By: the crab man

the crab man — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 04:39:05 +0000

the Graham Rothery comment is a gem – all the contradictions rolled up in one – free country (so let’s have lots of boundaries – who’s in and who’s out) -

By: Dan James

Dan James — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 10:46:11 +0000

One of the greatest barriers preventing people ditchign the car is often a lack of information – sites such as travelline are great if you know theres a bus from a to b and simply want to know what time the next one is – however when people are on holiday or exploring new areas, particularly rural ones they need to know where the services are available, how these link with walking opportunties etc.

With that in mind the Exmoor National Park Authority has recently laucnhed http://www.exploremoor.co.uk to promote a car free, care free Exmoor with interactive maps, 17 car free walks, a whle host of suggestions for exploring the moor without the car and much more besides.

I hope some of you find it useful and am happy to receive any feedback.

By: Ashley B

Ashley B — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 16:52:14 +0000

I think the point the article is making is that if we all travel to honeypot locations to walk, our local area becomes neglected and the impact on the countrys most popular locations is much greater. Paths that are not used become overgrown and may be lost. Paths that are heavily used become erroded and may end up being pathed. I think the article is very relevent to the membership of the Ramblers. We should be aware & mindful of our impact on the environment that we love and make sensible choices to moderate that impact. The views expressed in the article are at the extreme end of the scale, but our activites do have some negative impact and we should not be ignorant of that.
As ramblers we are united in our love of walking and should not exclude people on the basis of their beliefs. Surely people who care about the environment and want to minimise their impact on it are welcome in The Ramblers.

By: Graham Rothery

Graham Rothery — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 18:16:07 +0000

Is this the right kind of article in what is supposed to be the magazine for the membership of The Ramblers? We are told on the one hand the magazine is a membership benefit – and on the other it seems to be attacking the very activity which we indulge in. This populist writer is not just attacking car use but the very fact lots of people go for hikes or walks in the countryside and include in their scope such honeypots as Kinder Scout and all.
So why should we beat ourselves up and deny ourselves what is in fact ours to enjoy? This is a free (to a large extent) country to go do as you like. Whilst man can man should – but of course taking some responsibility for their actions.
I wonder if like many supposed Ramblers Association member benefits (the forum is another) this is an open e-mail to anyone as is the magazine as it is on sale to anyone who can find it on the newspaper shop shelf – and we have comments form non-members? Is Will Self a writer or a member? I suspect he is not a member and it would be good to know the answer. Other correspondents have commented about walk programmes (it has 2 m and an e unless it is a computer program) and local walking group issues. If this is a Ramblers Group then ensure you put on walks yourself by voluteering to take walks in the programme that suit you. If you don’t find the Chairman accommodating to the membership needs then approach your Area as the Group is part of the Area – we have to be mindful of the function we have as Ramblers Association Areas – the constitution we all have is clear and specific.
(I am a member – an Area Chairman and walker)

By: Brian Wright

Brian Wright — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 13:41:40 +0000

Group rambles involving scores of cars far from home for a few hours are very wasteful of course. Camper van people can gain a broader perspective. As a climber and walker I enjoy spending enough time in an area to get to know it, draw it, paint it and live in it. A camper van can put you in touch with nature, rain and hail on your roof, owls and deer calling at night and animal tracks in the snow in the morning. It is possible to get permission to park in good spots. Having been a public rights of way officer I am fairly good at approaching farmers. As long as they can see you are on your own, and not part of a convoy, no problem usually. A walk can be a tantalising glimpse, a quick passing through, but a longer sojurn can be a real adventure. So, if you want to commune, don’t just go there and get from A to B, stay in an area, whether in a hostel or campsite, and study the terrain. Not everyone feels secure, alone in a camper van, so us who like solitude, like Will Self, are lucky to enjoy our own company. Radio 2 and 4 keep me entertained at night. Report path problems to the local authority, or clear away a bit of blocked path, as I do, in a new place, then you will be involved in the area, even if you live many miles away.

By: Tim Woods

Tim Woods — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:41:23 +0000

Very interesting article. While John Smith is right that not all walks can be reached using public transport, a great many can. And unless more people start to leave the car behind to reach these walks, then more and more places will, as the author says, lose the very thing that makes so many want to go there – peace, quiet and something away from the urban areas that are taking over Britain. Don’t agree? Then try visiting the Lake District around Windermere and Ambleside on a summer saturday. Both towns well served by regular buses; both towns often with mile-long queues as people wait for a parking space. It’s not a black and white issue (you would need to be able to reach the bus at the other end of course) but very few people seem to want to make the effort.

Please excuse the shameless self-promotion, but the issues Will puts forward were exactly those that led some friends and I to create Car Free Walks – http://www.carfreewalks.org – to collate walks across the UK that can be reached by public transport. Hopefully you will find some walks near you (and if not, go and find one and add it to the website!)

By: Jason Palmer

Jason Palmer — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:57:52 +0000

When living in England, i often used the rambler website to find a list of local walks, and then go for the one I could easily reach by bus ( I had no car ).

Bus to walk and back, unless you cadge a drink, is great, but, better on Saturday than Sunday as more buses.

Learning to use the bus network is a great advantage for ramblers, no need for circular walks !

By: John Bosten

John Bosten — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:11:28 +0000

Elmbridge, Surrey spend £thousands promoting walks often requiring 20 miles car use. few walks are for more than 2 hours for 5 miles, and many last 30minutes for a few hundred yards. I used to walk to the ‘Elmbridge walks’. I gave up many years ago, but I am still sent the bumph

By: phil smith

phil smith — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:55:33 +0000

There is a very old and longstanding contradiction raising its head agin in this article: “everyone except me is destroying the solitude/beauty of the countryside”.

Those last 18th and early 19th cntury Romantics who began the cult of the wilderness lived long enough to bemoan the effects of their prioneering.

Prior to them the coutryside was a place of work. Now it is a place of industrial-style leisure.

Those who seek a genuinely sublime encounter must, once again, work for it – deploying tactics of disruption, both phsyical and mental. As a noted psychogeographer Will Self should know what they are. And they can be practised both in solitude and a ‘man or woman of the crowd’.

The Crab Man

By: will-self.com » Blog Archive » Four wheels bad, two legs good

will-self.com » Blog Archive » Four wheels bad, two legs good — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:55:40 +0000

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